


Pack Means Family...

by lysiabeth



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, SO, allison is amazing, based roughly after season 3b/4 ish (very ish), but kinda didnt, eh, i was gonna add isaac, idk a bit of bad language but, liam is just really worried hes gonna die soon, mason and lydia are bros af, not really canon but werewolves and all that exist, then sortof did, there we go, this literally has no timeline so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-18
Updated: 2014-11-18
Packaged: 2018-02-26 03:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2635997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lysiabeth/pseuds/lysiabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was sat wondering why the kid was practically falling off the bench as he sat next to her. Liam was just waiting for her to turn around and stab him with a wolfsbane covered knife.</p><p>or</p><p>5 times Allison helped Liam and 1 time Liam decided he'd return the favour</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pack Means Family...

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw [this](http://chirsargent.tumblr.com/post/102587277249/shehunters-okay-but-imagine-allison-being) text post on tumblr a while ago and thought, 'man, I really needa write that' but, cue in exams and my lack of motivation, I never did. However. Exams are over and I decided I'm going to write this if it's the last good thing I do. *crosses fingers* 
> 
> also, this is un beta'd, so any spelling errors just comment or smth and i'll fix em up 8)

** 1) **

 

It wasn't something he really took notice of, at first. He'd learnt that the pack enjoyed being close together, hearing the stories that made him think exactly how good of an idea that was, so him bumping into her from time to time wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

 

Until it was.

 

Because the odd smile and pat on the back was ok. Great, actually, seeing as the whole new 'wolf' side of him seemed to preen under admiration and touch, but being invited to sit with _the_ Allison Argent for lunch was very alarming for him. Liam was sure she wouldn't do anything to hurt him - being the ex girlfriend of pack Alpha and current girlfriend of pack Beta - but, Liam couldn't help but feel... intimidated... by the huntress, no matter how big her glossy smile was.

 

His last two best friends had turned out to be serial assassins - sue him for being a little bit paranoid when a well known hunter invited him to sit with her during lunch. Liam had seen her arsenal collection, and to the old, care free fifteen year old him, it would have been awesome. Finding out why she actually carried them with her, however, was a slight down buzz on the whole situation.

 

Liam knew he could have just said no. Liam knew, also, that even after he had told her a nervous and unsure "Uh... Yeah?" this morning that he could ditch lunch and give her some lame excuse about being behind on geography homework. It seemed like a good idea until he asked Mason and Lydia, got two arched eyebrows in response and a - rather rude - opinion.

 

“Dude, just have lunch with her. What’s the worse she’s gonna do, steal a french fry?” Mason asked, looking up from some advanced chemistry formula him and Lydia were studying. Those two becoming friends had been nothing but his loss in extended bro time and sitting next to them while he was benched and listening in on how Lydia was studying the genetic code for the pack.

 

_Seriously._

 

“I can’t ‘just have lunch with her.’ Dude, the girl shoves knives down her boots and has three tasers in her locker—“

 

“Not to mention the one in her handbag.”

 

“Yes, thank you, Lydia. I mean, sure, she’s saying lunch, but I bet you anything she just wants to kick my ass because I accidentally wolfed out at the park when my foot got stuck in the seesaw set. Maybe lunch is actually some hunter code thing for torture. What if she’s planning on poisoning me?” Liam asked, his voice slightly frantic. He could feel his canines threatening to expose themselves and took a few breaths like Derek had showed him.

 

In front of him, he heard a pen be placed onto the table, and he looked up at Lydia, who had her arms crossed and lips pursed.

 

“Sweetheart, I don’t know what you want us to tell you. Maybe you’re right. Maybe Allison does want to torture you. Or, maybe she just wants to get to know you seeing as you’re a new pack member and the only thing she does know is your name and that you’re the baby beta, or, BB as Stiles likes to call you behind your back.” Lydia said, picking up her pen again and flicking her hair over her shoulder. Liam thought about it for a minute, his fingers drumming on his thigh.

 

“Fine. I’ll sit with her at lunch - and since when has Stiles called me that?” He growled out, aggravation for the pack human coursing through his body.

 

Lydia and Mason just snorted - in sync.

———

 

So Liam went to the cafeteria. Immediately his senses were hit with the smell of food, grease and teenager. The overwhelming smell making him scrunch up his nose and duck his head down, attempting to clear his head so he would be fully focused for lunch.

 

“You did come!” A voice behind him exclaimed, and Liam turned to see Allison grinning at him, her lunch tray stacked with what appeared to be a club sandwich and a juice box. She was dressed in dark green jeans, a white shirt and black cardigan, her hair in a messy bun. Liam noticed the knife tip that just stuck out of her boot, and, swallowing the shout he had in his throat, smiled at her too and nodded.

 

“I said I would.” He said, following her as she went to sit at the table closest to the cafeteria door and window.

 

“I hope it’s ok we sit here, I mean, just after everything I like to have a good look at all the entries to where I am in case… Well.” Allison said, picking up her fruit cup and inspecting what was inside of it. Liam slowly lowered himself onto the bench next to her, slinging his bag off of his shoulder and placing it gently on the table in front of him.

 

To say he was stuck for words was an understatement.

 

Allison looked over at him and raised her eyebrow, watching as he pulled out a tupperware container of what she guessed would have been last nights dinner. His henley was crinkled and his jeans had a bit of mud flicked up on the back of his calf, but for a teenage boy he appeared well mannered and almost humble. In fact, the only thing that seemed off about him was how tense he seemed to be. She was sat wondering why the kid was practically falling off the bench as he sat next to her. Liam was just waiting for her to turn around and stab him with a wolfsbane covered knife.

 

“Liam… Are you ok?” She asked, swinging one of her legs over the bench so she was sort of straddling it and looking at him as he slowly placed his fork on his tupperware lid and turned to her.

 

“You have two knives in your boots right now, a vial of wolfsbane in the front pocket of your messenger bag and two or three tasers in your locker. Also, out in your car, if I were to open the boot I would find an assortment of guns and arrows that I’m certain aren’t legal.” He stated, and Allison waited for him to get to the point.

 

“You’ve been part of this pack for years. You survived a Kanima attack, a stab wound from some Oni and also some emotional blackmail that I’m not really sure I even want to know about. I mean, that’s cool. I can respect a strong woman. Annalise Keating and the Black Widow are two of my favourite fictional characters. I’m just very worried that lunch is going to turn into ‘come and get ice cream with me after school’ which is going to turn into ‘surprise bitch! i just locked you in my car and now I’m going to stab you to death’.” Liam said, and Allison was shocked for words. On one hand, she could understand why he was saying these things, and on the other, she realised just how messed up the poor kid was. They’d all been thrust into the world of the supernatural pretty quickly, but this kid didn’t ever really have a need to be, and now here he was, scared out of his wits after surviving a berserker attack and meeting her aunt and stopping a crazed Peter and having his Alpha almost kill him and, wow. 

 

Allison had some serious work to do.

 

“I don’t… Ok. I invited you to lunch because I know you’ve had a rough few months, and I thought it would be a good way to get to know you. I’m not going to hurt you, Liam. Wouldn’t dream of it, in fact. I’m on your side, so is my father and so is everyone else in this pack - though, arguably, Stiles does tend to bitch about you from time to time, but I think that’s because Scott now gives you his puppy eyes and not him. Anyways, my point is, you don’t have to be scared of me.” Allison said, shuffling forward on the bench and placing her hand on his shoulder and smiling at him. She noticed how his shoulders rose when he took a breath in, and while he was busy composing herself, she decided to fix up the turned in neck of his Henley and pat down his hair, which, in her opinion, would look a lot better with some hair gel.

 

It was whatever though.

 

“So, you invited me to lunch just to talk?” He asked, looking up at her with his blue eyes, and, wow. Allison could understand why that other Beta from Satomi’s pack had called him a puppy. It was exactly what he was.

 

“Sure. We can talk, or we can sit, or we can discuss the amazing plot line of How To Get Away With Murder.” Allison prompted, the sides of her mouth turning up in a smile as she watched this whole face light up.

 

“Holy heck, yes! Ok, ok. But first - how the hell do I convince Stiles I’m actually an ok guy?”

 

** 2) **

 

According to Kira, the whole pack meeting thing had never been an official thing until this year. With Derek leaving all the time and people untrusting of others, it was hard for them to ever all sit in one place and talk civilly about the current events of Real Life Shit Show: Beacon Hills. However, apparently everyone was all friendly now, and with that all happening, that called for weekly meetings where everyone would just go to Derek Hale’s, eat a lot of take out, tell everyone how they were doing and if they’d noticed anything, then leave.

 

That Tuesday night was no different.

 

Liam arrived with Mason - the lucky bastard already having his licence - and made his way into Derek’s, rolling his eyes when Lydia pulled up just seconds after them and her and Mason immediately launched into a conversation about the new season of The Blacklist. Liam had nothing against the show, but why bother watching a crime show when they lived in a lot more supernatural version of it themselves? Honestly.

 

Liam knocked on the door, and the steel rollers jerked and sealed at Scott opened it up, grinning at him and pulling him into a hug. Behind Scott, Stiles gave him a nod, Malia grinned at him and waved, and Kira and Allison were looking over Kira’s katana. 

 

“You ok there, Liam?” Derek asks from behind him.

 

“It’s weird. One minute I’m this angry teenager with like, three friends, and the next I’m a werewolf teenager with a pack.” Liam confesses, and Derek nods at him.

 

“You’re still an angry little shit though…” Liam can hear Stiles mutter, and it makes him blush. Turning away from the eyes of Braeden and Scott, Liam walked over to Allison and Kira, interrupting a conversation about how Kira was telling Allison the best way to hold her feet while using the sword.

 

“Hey Liam,” Kira says, cutting into the air with ease, the sword making a ‘whoosh’ sound as the tip sailed past his side. Liam spotted the table beside them and leaned against it, watching the both of them trade tips about swordsmanship, digging into his back pocket and deciding to try and beat his high score on Piano Tiles.

 

“You could try look like you’re interested.” A voice mumbles in his ear, causing Liam to jump and drop his phone, the impact of it making a clattering sound that echoed throughout the loft. Allison bent over to pick up the phone, a guilty look on her face as she handed it to him.

 

“Sorry, I guess I should have realised that wasn’t the best idea…” Allison trailed off, going to lean on the table next to him. Liam had never used his ability to sense how people were feeling through their scent, but, deciding it can't be that bad, he decided to try. Liam takes a sniff in and cocks his head to the side. At first, all Liam can smell is her perfume, a sweet smell that reminds him of his mother. The next scent he can smell is grief, a little bit of pain and… something sweet which he can’t describe. Deciding that that’s enough invasion of privacy for one day, Liam coughs, and is bought to attention by Scott standing up and clapping his hands together.

 

“Ok. So, hey, guys… Uh. Well. We got off to a good start of the month, according to everyone there hasn’t been anything odd going on to suggest and supernatural occurrences which is great. Full moon is in a week, and, to celebrate it being out first full moon clear of the whole Dead Pool thing, Alpha Satomi and her pack have invited us to spend the full moon with them just hanging out and stuff.”

 

Liam lifted his head up, bought to full attention, and could feel how the atmosphere of the room had changed as well. Liam would be lying if he said he didn’t want to see Brett again - he never really did get a chance to help him after the last lacrosse game.

 

“We’re going to, right?” Liam asked, and everyone in the room turned to either him or Scott. Liam suddenly felt out of place, and he wasn’t sure whether it was to do with pack dynamics or something completely different.

 

“I… don’t know. I mean, I guess some of us can, but…”

 

“But?”

 

“It’s only your third full moon and you’re having a hard enough time controlling yourself already?” Stiles said, looking at Liam with a cocked eyebrow, his arms crossed over his chest. Malia’s face was twisted in a way that made her look like she was thinking, and when Liam looked up at Scott, he looked a bit guilty.

 

So much for ‘brothers’.

 

“So everyone else can go, but I’m not allowed? What, you gonna knock me unconscious again this time or just handcuff me somewhere and hope I don’t get out?” Liam asked, irritation itching under his skin, his hands clammy and digging into the table behind him.

 

“The last full moon you almost mauled me and Derek half to death, do you really not see why this is a good idea?”

 

“The last time was a high stress situation and also only my second full moon.” Liam bit back, glaring at Stiles as he shook his head.

 

“Dude, do you think the whole pack bond we have with Satomi's pack will last of you happen to wolf out at one of her members?” Stiles asked, and Liam’s eyes flashed, already feeling riled up.

 

“Stiles, enough!” A voice shouted, and Liam looked to his side to see Allison standing at full height, her posture ready and stable. She breathed out through her nose and folded her arms. “I agree with Liam on this one. If all of you are going, he should too. It’s a pack experience, and he’s already shown control amazingly well for a new Beta. And, if something does happen, there will be all of us, plus their pack to help out. All the were’s here have had to go through the whole control thing, just because you’re a little annoyed at him Stiles doesn’t give you the right to be an ableist little shit. So he has an anger problem, but all of us here a more that a little messed up, so lay off.” Allison finished, and Liam - along with everyone else - was left speechless. 

 

Braeden was the first to break the silence with a defiant “I’m with Allison,” and slowly, everyone else began to nod their heads in agreement. Liam looked up at Scott, watching as his eyebrows pulled together to make a decision.

 

“If you’re sure you can handle it. But, at any time during the night if you feel like you’re gonna lose control, tell me, ok? I don’t want you to put yourself in danger because you feel you have to be ready to control yourself. Like Allison said, every werewolf - and, sorry, were coyote - has been through this, we get it.” Scott mediated, and Liam nodded.

 

It wasn’t until he was leaving and he caught Allisons’ elbow, sending her a questioning look to which she just shook her head and laughed he felt he had an actual friendship in the making with her.

 

** 3) **

 

If there was one thing Liam was happy with, it was the fact that Scott at least trusted him enough to be out on the lacrosse field. Liam couldn’t explain the feeling he got as he geared up. The pull of the pads underneath his shirt, the burning of his legs as he ran down the field, the euphoria of winning a game and playing with a team for one main objective - to win.

 

It was the semi-final of the season and the boys and Kira were all in the changing room, waiting for coach to enter with another ripped off speech from some overrated movie. Liam would never admit it, but he actually had quite the admiration for the guy - as bat shit crazy and unbelievable as he was.

 

“It’s funny, you know, after everything, and the team we’re playing against is Davenport Prep.” Mason mumbled to Liam, and Liam turned to look at him.

 

“We?” He asked, grinning at his best friend and nudging him with his elbow, watching as Mason rolled his eyes and smiled.

 

“Yes, we. I’ve had to sit through hours of training waiting for you to be done so we can go back to your place and study. I’m practically part of the team, dude.” Mason said, and Liam had to agree. He turned to the door the same time as Scott did, his hearing able to hear coach entering the change room a few seconds before the rest of the team. Sitting up to attention, he stared as coach turned on his megaphone, his whistle around his neck, and a manic look in his eye.

 

“Gentlemen, and, our very talented young lady,” Linstock started, turning to Kira and nodding at her as she swung her lacrosse stick around in similar ways to how she swung her katana. “Tonight, I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do.” Coach started, and Liam recognised it as one of Churchill’s war speeches. “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old!” he finished, and the whole team raised their sticks and cheered, their yells and stomps causing the lockers to shake against each other.

 

“Now, let’s get out there, and kick some ass!” Coach yelled through the megaphone, blowing his whistle to signal the end of the speech. Liam grabbed his helmet and stick, running onto the field with Scott behind him.

 

“Remember, just stay calm and focused. If you feel you need to be benched, then get benched. Also, good luck.” He said, to him, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him so they stood face to face.

 

“I’ve got this.” Liam said, confident and nodding his head. Scott smiled at him, wide and goofy, and Liam pulled on his helmet, the hype of the game making his blood pump and heart beat just that little bit faster.

 

“Heads up, Dunbar!” A voice yelled, and Liam turned with his stick in his hand to catch the ball he knew was being thrown at him. Brett stood a few metres away, a knowing grin on his face, his own lacrosse stick raised, waiting for Liam to throw the ball back. Liam instead took it out of his net and walked over, tossing it at Brett when they were just a few feet away from each other.

 

“I thought we were destined to be enemies forever.” Liam said, gesturing to the direction of his old coach. Brett flicked his eyes at him also, and ended up shrugging. He held out his hand, already wearing his gloves, and Liam raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“I seem to remember you asking for a truce before the scrimmage a few months ago. I wasn’t really that nice towards you, which was shitty of me, seeing as we were best mates. But, then your pack saved my packs ass a few times, and you also got turned into a werewolf, and these past few months have given me some… Thinking time. So, truce?” he asked, nudging his hand forward. Liam bit his lip and dropped his stick to the ground and extended his won, shaking Bretts with a smile on his face.

 

“I always knew there was a reason you were better at me than sports after elementary. And here I was, thinking you actually had talent.”

 

“You’re a piece of shit.”

 

“Oh, believe me, I know.” Liam sighed, hearing the whistle as it blew for the teams to get on the field.

 

“Didn’t realise being part of Pack McCall meant you got your own support team for everything you did, but I must admit, it’s pretty cool.” Brett said, looking up at the bleachers. Standing in the second row was Mason, Allison, Lydia and Malia, and a few seats over were Ms McCall and Sheriff Stilinski. Liam would have to be blind to miss the giant sign that had written on it in dark red ‘DUNBAR’ ‘STILINSKI’ ‘YUKIMURA’ ‘MCCALL’ and their lacrosse jersey numbers. Liam wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn Allison winked at him.

 

“Dunbar, the hell is wrong with you? Get on the field, damnit!” Coach yelled, blowing his whistle as the ref glared at him. Liam turned and ran to his place near goal, twisting his stick in his hands as he waited for the first play. Behind him, he heard coach mutter to himself about how he really should have coached college.

 

———

 

Once the game was over and Liam had shook hands with his old teammates, he ran over to Mason and slapped him on the back, the two of them high-fiving in congratulations over the win Beacon Hills had just managed - by two points.

 

“So now what happens?” Malia asked, turning to Stiles after she had given him a crushing bear hug in congratulations. She made her way over to Liam and gave him the same treatment, and at that moment he was extremely grateful for instant healing, as he swear she just broke his entire rib cage. He didn’t understand how Stiles could live through one of those on a daily basis.

 

“We go to finals, we win, coach loves us for another season.” Scott lists off, and Kira smiles up at him. It would make Liam want to gag if it weren’t so adorably cute.

 

“Nice one, Dunbar.” Allison exclaimed, climbing over the bleachers, grabbing onto Chris Argent’s hand as she did so to come and greet the pack. Chris nodded at Liam and Liam nodded back, watching how Chris watched over the rest of the field, as if waiting for something to go wrong.

 

He supposed it wouldn’t be the first time.

 

“You played so well!” Allison said, pulling him into a hug, and Liam hugged her back, unable to get a word in as his mouth was filled with Allisons scarf and hair. She pulled back from the hug and handed him the banner with his name that her and Mason had been holding, pulling her phone out of her pocket and checking her phone. Liam figured it was probably a text from the other beta, Isaac, who left a few months ago after the whole ‘evil spirit’ fiasco.

 

“I played like I played any other game, but, thank you. I heard you cheering for me.” Liam confessed, smiling at her slightly as she nodded vigorously, pocketing her phone and looking at him with a flushed face. As she spoke, her breath came out almost smoky looking, the cold of the air more evident now that Liam wasn’t running on adrenaline and sweating.

 

“Yeah, well, you deserved it. You’re a good player, Liam, you just need to be more focused. You’re worse than Scott when he was first turned, you let all the scents and sounds get to you. I mean, you’re an amazing player now, but imagine how much better you’d be if you zeroed in on just the task at hand.” Allison said, and Liam nodded, flattered that she was taking the time to talk to him about this.

 

“Allison.” Chris said, and Allison looked up at him and nodded.

 

“I have to go, I’m out past sunset and dad gets these weird spidey-senses. Later, Liam.” She said, patting him on the shoulder and wandering off.

 

“Later, Allison.” Liam replied, and went off to find his mum and his step-dad so he could go home, shower and sleep.

 

** 4) **

 

Liam should have known that the peace and serenity of Beacon Hills wouldn’t last long. The place was literally a calling place for all things fucked up and magical, and this time it was a group of rogue hunters who had banded together to ruin the peace. Apparently the rumours of a powerful true alpha and a mix and match pack had reached their ears, and so they had packed up their SUV’s and wolfsbane and made their way West in hope of catching and killing a few pack members.

 

At least, that’s what Liam thought he heard. Hanging upside down and being tied up wasn't the most efficient way to listen to people, especially people with low voices who sounded as if they smoked a pack a day. In fact, smelling the area, Liam would say two packs a day, given the fact that the nicotine covering them wasn't just a lingering scent, but one that seemed to have burrowed its way into their clothing.

 

Woah. Liam was spending way too much time focusing on his creative writing piece. Seriously.

 

“So. Here we are.” One voice said, and Liam squirmed where he hung, noticing the long sharp blade that the hunter had in his hand. This was so not what he signed up for, actually, he didn’t sign up for any of this. He seriously needed to ask Scott the reasoning behind him biting him. If he ever got out of this alive, of course.

 

“You know, you’re the only gold eyed Beta in your pack? You see, that’s why we went after you first. Gotta kill off the weak ones first. We could’a gone for the human, or the banshee, but both of them have deep ties to this pack. You, you’re the new member. The last one in line. So much easier to get to, if you get what I’m saying.”

 

Liam did. And it really really hurt. That, or the rope was dissing too far into his chest.

 

“You forgot about me.” A voice called throughout the warehouse, and Liam almost weeped with joy. An arrow shot past the guys head and into the wall behind him, and, closing his eyes, he felt the bomb go off, sending pieces of rubble everywhere, some of them showering onto his back. In the distance, Liam heard a howl, and, his more animalistic side taking over, he howled back.

 

The chaos around him seemed to catch the attention of the other hunters though, and suddenly the settling silence of the warehouse was interrupted by yelling and footsteps. Liam was still tied up, and he started to freak out a bit until he felt hands on his face.

 

“You ok?” Allison asked, her arrows on her back and her bow placed neatly beside where she was kneeling.

 

“Oh you know. Hanging in there.” Liam said, causing her to laugh and bite her cheek as she pulled out a knife and cut him free. Liam dropped to the ground and watched as his wrists immediately began to heal, the blood already dry and flaking off. Being supernatural was disgusting.

 

“Argent.” A voice spat, and Allison and Liam both looked up at the guy who had just been talking to him, a gun in his hand and covered in dust.

 

“Malvin.” Allison responded, her voice cold and void of any emotion.

 

“So it’s true. The once great and powerful name, Argent, has been downgraded to helping out the vermin we used to catch.” He said, wiping dust off of his left hand as he tightened his grip on the .45 with his right hand. Liam was still shaking slightly, his cuts and bruises still healing now that he wasn’t in close proximity to the wolfsbane, but he knew that even now, he couldn’t get the both of them out alive.

 

“The only vermin here is you.” Another voice called out, and as the gun shot echoed throughout the empty space and the so called Malvin dropped to the floor, Liam looked up to see an extremely calm looking Chris Argent standing behind him, placing a gun back in the holster on his hip.

 

It was all far too ‘Die Hard’ for Liam to handle right now, and the whole trauma of being kidnapped and tied up and beaten was all coming back to him, and before he knew it, Chris Argent had him in a tight grip, his arms around his shoulders keeping him standing.

 

“Allison, call Melissa off my phone. The rest of the pack will be here soon, but this kid needs a looking over.” Chris said, sitting him down on an over turned chair that the hunters had left behind. Liam watched as Allison dialled Ms McCall, both of their voices clear to his hearing in the silence of their surroundings. His breath was short and he tried to focus on the breathing techniques his therapist had given him all those months ago, counting on his fingers as he inhaled and exhaled.

 

“Liam?” Allison asked, slowly sitting down beside him, pulling off her archery equipment as she did so.

 

“How did you know where I was?” He asked, wanting to know so much more but that question being the only one that he managed to get out past the feeling of his dry mouth and too big tongue.

 

“My dad has been tracking these hunters for a while. They aren’t rogue they’re… They used to work for us. With my granddad and aunt and my dad back before we moved here the first time. It’s… It looks bad. We didn’t tell the pack but dad figured Scott and the rest of them had enough on their plates what with the end of the year coming up, and he figured he had it under control but, I guess not.” Allison mumbled, and Liam only just realised how defeated she sounded. Sitting in the middle of this half torn down warehouse, the Spring sun poking through some parts of the wall, Allison looked just as small as Liam often felt.

 

“It’s ok. I mean, sure, I ache a bit and my mum is gonna be so pissed that this shirt is covered in blood, but it’s ok. I mean, you had your reasons, right?” Liam asked, and Allison looked up at him, a small smile on her lips. Outside, Liam heard cars pull up, and before he knew it, the rest of the pack was running in, Derek looking furious and Scott looking worried.

 

“Oh man, I am gonna get it.” Allison whispered, and Liam squeezed her hand for support before standing up and getting pulled into a hug from Scott as he assessed him for injuries. Mason came up beside them and rubbed Liam’s arm, and Liam couldn’t help but over hear, as he was being walked out of the warehouse by Malia, Lydia and Stiles, how Derek started his “What happened here” speech by immediately blaming Allison.

 

All in all, it was a pretty shit way to end the week.

 

** 5) **

 

If anyone had asked Liam at the start of Liam how confident he was feeling about end of year exams, he would have brushed them off and told them “It’s no big deal, I do my work” or something along those lines.

 

But oh, how the times have changed. It wasn’t like he never studied. Mason made sure that whenever Liam wasn’t doing anything pack related that they would sit down and study, going over the material they had learnt that year. And it wasn’t like Liam had even missed that much school, either. It was just that now, the week of exams, Liam was freaking out, thinking of how disappointed his parents would be if he failed, and how disappointed in himself he would be. He was a good student, he was smart, he paid attention, and now, he was going to fail.

 

It wasn’t even close to fair. So as Liam made his way to the library, in hope of getting some last minute study in for his essay on the Berlin Wall, he was surprised to open his phone to two texts form the same unknown number.

 

**Unknown: If you’re doing the Berlin Wall, talk about how the breaking down of the iron curtain led to people escaping**

 

**Unknown: Also, don’t worry too much about it! Mrs Cavey is a total sweetheart, she let me redo my essay for a higher grade when I got a C+ don’t stress out too much, take a breath. you got this.**

 

So, not exactly a “I know what you did last summer” thing or, more believably “I know you’re a werewolf and I want to kill you for it” but it did make Liam wonder. Who the hell would send him notes on his essay, and _why_? Deciding he would be better off actually getting to class than pondering his mystery fact giver, he turned off his phone, and forgot all about it until the next day.

 

———

 

The texts continued all throughout the week. They varied from facts about what he should focus on to encouraging messages about how he was doing great and had nothing to worry about, it wasn’t until after practice on Thursday when he figured out who was sending them.

 

**Unknown: Wanna join Lyds, Malia and I for ice cream and a gossip after dinner?**

 

**Unknown: Crap, I meant to send that to Kira. Though, if you promise you don’t share the secrets we tell you, I guess you could come**

 

It was common knowledge that the girls all went to Sally’s Dessert Parlour, though no one ever knew when they did. What everyone did know, however, was that all they did was bitch and talk shit, and Liam remembered distinctly one moment how Stiles cornered Scott demanding to know how the hell Kira knew he liked being the little spoon.

 

So, Liam made up his mind. He was going to go home, he was going to eat dinner with his parents, and then he was going to get ice cream. Maybe turning into a werewolf had its perks after all.

 

———

 

“Baby Beta is here.” Was the first thing Liam heard when he stepped out of his mums car (which he could now officially drive, thanks Stiles) and into the parlour parking lot.

 

“Malia. Don’t call him that.” Lydia said, her tone bored but threatening, and he heard Malia sigh. Opening up the parlour doors, he was hit with the smell of way too many sweet things at once, and it made him want to shove about seven packets of mac and cheese up his nose to get over the sickening smell of sugar. Holding his hand over his nose, he looked towards the end of the shop where the girls were all sitting. Allison and Kira were sitting next to each other, both eating an ice cream that looked way too chocolatey to be legal. As he came closer to the table, he noticed how Lydia had an assortment of the sour sorbets, and Malia had a large bowl of vanilla with every flavour sauce and sprinkles. The girl was crazy, but he could get behind her for most of the few choices she ever made.

 

“You’ve been sending me the texts.” Liam said, pulling a chair up from another table and sitting next to Allison. Lydia’s eye brows climbed up her forehead and Liam waved her - and her disgusting little mind, please, they called him immature - away.

 

“I— Yeah. Sorry, I mean, we do take pretty much all the same subjects, and Mason said to Lydia which I over heard that you were struggling with keeping up with work. I would have given you my stuff but I um… Destroyed it all?” Allison said, spooning some of her dessert into her mouth and waiting for a reply.

 

“Yeah, but you could have told me it was you. I went a whole week just getting all of these texts from an unknown number.” Liam mumbled, shaking his head when Malia thrust her ice cream under his nose.

 

“Oh. I could have sworn I put my number in your phone though…” Allison said, looking down at her own phone as if it had betrayed her. Liam pulled out his own phone and looked through his contacts, and, yes, the first one in there, written Allison with a little target emoji, was her contact. He handed her his phone and she looked at it, and then threw her head back and laughed softly.

 

“I forgot. I changed my number before this year started, I put in my old number. I’m sorry, Liam.” She said, changing the number quickly then locking his phone and sliding it across the table to him.

 

“It’s all good. I… Thanks, for the messages by the way. They helped a lot.” he said, and she nodded her head, swallowing her mouthful. He looked around at the girls and noticed how they were all invested in their own things yet also watching him and Allison, and he suddenly felt very out of place.

 

“I should… I think I’m gonna go?” He said, standing up to leave before Malia reached out and grabbed onto his wrist.

 

“Stay. I know you’re practically drooling over my ice cream, so grab a spoon and you can help me eat it. Also, Lydia wants to know if it’s true that Brett and Mason went to see that new space movie the other day.” She said, and Liam raised his eyebrow at Lydia as she hissed at Malia.

 

“How do you know they went on that date?” Liam asked, sitting down again and noticing how all of the girls were waiting on Lydia to finish her spoonful. They were all dirty little gossips, and Liam was sort of in awe that they could keep up with petty little dramas while also keeping themselves alive.

 

“Oh, please. It was practically written all over his face. How do you know?” She asked, pointing his spoon at him.

 

“Best friend. And also, werewolf. I smelt Brett on him the day Brett asked him out, so he kinda confessed.”

 

“When and how did you tell him you were a werewolf?” Allison asked, and Liam looked at Malia for confirmation before he placed his spoon in her bowl.

 

“I uh… Well. I think he already knew? And then one day I was at his house, and he has this cat who is crazy on a good day. Anyways, I think the cat kind of sensed something was off with me? So when I went to sit on Masons bed, it clawed me half to death, and so I wolfed out at it, and then if that wasn’t enough, I immediately healed, so I then just told him everything. He was surprisingly cool with it, though he did make me pay for the pizza we ordered like an hour later.” Liam explained, and all of the girls nodded and made their own sounds of understanding.

 

———

 

Liam swung his keys around his forefinger, waiting for Malia to finish talking to Sally about her vanilla ice cream after promising he’d give her a ride to Stiles place. Behind him he heard a car slow and stop, and, as he turned around, Allison began winding down her window.

 

“So, do you think you did well in your exams?” She asked, her head at a funny angle so she could fully lean out of the window to talk to him.

 

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I think so, though. I mean, I’m hopeful.” Liam said, putting his hands in his pocket, regretting not bringing an extra jumper.

 

“I’m sure you did fine. Drive safe, ok?” Allison said, her window halfway rolled up before Liam ran to her car and put his hand on it. He heard her jump from inside the car, then, pulling his hand away, she rolled it down, looking up at him.

 

“I— Thank you. Seriously, for everything this year. I know we still don’t talk that much or anything and I’m sure you have better things to do than worry about some dumb freshman Beta, but, thank you, anyways, for doing it.” He said, stepping away from the car a bit and ducking his head.

 

“You’re... more than welcome. Thank you, as well. I know you may feel like you haven’t done anything, but, you have. So thank you, Liam.” 

 

Liam stood as she drove away, thinking abbot what she meant by that, interrupted by her thoughts as Malia yelled “Surprise Attack” and jumped on his back.

He seriously hated his pack.

 

(No he didn’t)

 

** +1) **

 

Winter and Christmas had passed in a blur, and before Liam knew it there had been several photos under the Album Title “New Yearzz” added to Facebook, most of them having to be taken down due to his - and everyone else’s - crazy werewolf eyes. School started, Liam learned he had passed his exams with marks higher than he had hoped for, and for now, it seemed Beacon Hills was verging on normal.

 

It wasn’t until one Wednesday of the new semester Liam realised he hadn’t seen Allison all week, and, deciding that she definitely wasn’t going to text back, he went to talk to the one person who should or would know something about it.

 

“Lydia!” He called, catching her as she closed her locker, seeing the moment she was wildly looking around to when she saw him, and her face relaxed. So maybe he still needed to learn that shouting at his pack members could be a bit distressing, but in his opinion, it seemed they were getting better as the days passed.

 

“Mason is out by the bleachers with Brett, if you were wondering.” She said, leaning up against her locker and Liam pulled a face.

 

“I don’t want to know how or why you know that, or why you would think I would ever want to know that? He’s my best friend, seriously.” He said, tightening his grip on his back pack strap and trying to get the vision of his best friend for life sucking face with his ex best friend slash once again bro.

 

God damnit.

 

“What’s up?” She asked, reaching over to smooth out the collar of his button up as he stood there in a disgusted daze. Shaking his head, he gently lifted her hand off of him.

 

“How come Allison hasn’t been at school?” he asked, and at the question, Lydia tensed up.

 

“I… It’s easy to forget not everyone has been here forever. That’s not really my place to answer.” She said, rubbing her lips together and twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.

 

“Is she ok?” Liam asked, not really liking how Lydia had gone all quiet and was avoiding her eye.

 

“Look. Scott will kill me if I told you about this but, I don’t know. Maybe it would be good if she got a visit from someone who doesn’t… know. She’s ok, physically, but there’s stuff she’s been through. In fact, you know what? You have a car. You know where she lives. Visit her, and I swear to go Liam, be gentle and patient and if her or Mr Argent tell you to leave, leave.” Lydia snapped, and with a flick of strawberry scented hair, she was walking down the hallway, the sound of her heels on the floor interrupted by the end of day bell.

 

———

 

Travelling up the floors in the elevator to the Argent’s apartment made Liam regret ever asking Lydia anything at all. Her words bounced through his head until he was just focused on why the hell Scott would be involved. Liam didn’t want to care, but it was his alpha, and if his alpha had told Lydia not to do something and Lydia did, did that mean he was also defying his alpha’s orders?

 

Probably.

 

But, knowing his luck, before he got time to just abandon his plan completely, the elevator opened on Allison’s floor, where Chris Argent already had the door open, carrying a black rubbish bag. Liam respected the guy, and it was probably just their rubbish or something, but Liam also knew he had a past, and had also been witness to Chris shooting two savage omegas without blinking before the semester ended last year. Liams mother had always taught him to be cautious also, so he couldn’t help that fact that he may have raised his eyebrows at the now frozen Chris Argent, who was still holding the bag.

 

“I know what you’re thinking, and I promise you, it isn’t what you think.” Chris said, and Liam raised his hands in surrender, trusting the guys word.

 

“Is Allison home?” Liam asked, stepping out of the elevator as the doors began to close, standing tall. His mother also told him to be respectful of people. Liam figured that being respectful to a guy who could kill him 87 different ways was probably the best idea.

 

“She’s in the lounge. I think she’s watching one of those talent show things, so just be quiet when you go in just in case you interrupt her favourite.” Chris said, and from the way his face changed, something told Liam he was talking from experience. He got the same treatment from his step dad when he interrupted a Top Gear episode - a lot of sighs and over the top “OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD”’s. Nodding to Chris as he went past him, he tuned in to the sounds of the apartment in an attempt to find Allison without having to go through every single door and room.

 

Walking down the hallway and to the left, Liam poked his head through a large opening, and saw Allison, curled up on the couch watching what appeared to be The Voice.

 

“Dad I thought you left— Oh. Hey. Liam.” Allison said, sitting up and clearing her throat. From what Liam could see, she was dressed in a t-shirt that looked like one of her dads. Her hair was down and held back with a head band, and she looked exhausted.

 

“Lydia wouldn’t tell me, but, are you sick or something? I haven’t seen you at school or anything.” Liam said, unsure of what to say to her or how to even start a conversation with this girl who looked so… hollow. It was the only way he could describe it, and Liam walked towards the coach as she sat up, going to sit next to her as she pushed her laptop and an empty pizza box to the floor.

 

“I look terrible. And I haven’t really showered? Or eaten. Or, moved at all form this spot for like, the past three days.” Allison explained, her voice muffled by her blanket, and Liam didn’t think there was anything he could do but wait for her to either explain or kick him out. It was weird to think about, how just ten months ago he was afraid of her killing him one day during school, and now he was in her house, sitting on her couch, wanting to nothing but maybe pile more blankets on her and make her watch Ice Age or something. It was weird, and so not masculine, and if anyone was going to ask, no, Liam so was not having those thoughts.

 

“A few years ago, when this whole thing started. Like, the werewolves and the Kanima’s and just, everything. We didn’t really get along with Derek, and Scott and him were just building up their trust for each other. Scott and I we… My mum and dad didn’t want me to see Scott because of it all, but we were secretly dating. My mum found out about us and did something that i’m not really proud of, anyways, Derek— my family had a code. If we ever were out on a hunt and got bitten by an alpha we would have to kill ourselves so that we wouldn’t dishonour the family. Derek was an alpha, he tried to save Scott and my mum attacked him and Derek bit my mum. And my mum killed herself and I wasn’t exactly… right, afterwards. And I don’t know, every time of the year when the day it happens comes around I just feel so weak and alone because if I had just listened to my parents or had been there I could have done something to help and I didn’t! I didn’t Liam, and my mum is dead because of it I can’t… I’m sorry.”

 

Allison was crying, and Liam placed his hand on her shoulder, lynching the pain from her. He could see her relaxing and knew that she must have been physically hurting too, because after a few minutes of her sobbing all over her blanket and him lynching the pain, he fell dizzy, and had to stop.

 

“You must think I’m such a mess.” She laughed, bringing her sleeve up to her face and wiping her eyes and her cheeks, sighing when she dropped her arm to her lap.

 

“I think, that you guys have been through way too much than you needed to, and that beacon Hills is a special kind of fucked up, and that you push yourself too hard and you’re great for it, but I also think you deserve to have this week off and feel like shit, because the human body needs ways to deal with grief, and this could just be how you deal with grief, and that’s ok.” Liam said, thinking about to all of the dumb therapy sessions he had at the hospital, thinking back to all of the ‘find your centre’ crap Derek always lectured him on, though about how Allison was here, completely vulnerable, and that maybe they all deserved to have their own bad days and bad assets.

 

Liam was about to tell her all of this, maybe tell her how for ages after he was diagnosed he did the same thing, when suddenly Allison had dragged him down into a big hug. Her arms were skinny but built, and with his nose pressed into her shoulder, he could definitely tell that this was in fact Chris’s shirt. Realising he was being a weirdo with his arms hanging at his sides, he hugged her back and patted her hair, suddenly understanding why she had thanked him all those weeks ago in the parking lot.

 

And when they pulled apart from the hug a few minutes later and Liam's shirt and neck was wet from Allison's tears and snot, maybe Liam didn’t say anything, because that’s what pack does. And pack means family, no matter who it is.

 

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on [tumblr](http://chirsargent.tumblr.com/)


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